Coroner Says Cause of Fatal Crash was Suicide

A head-on crash that killed five Fremont County residents is being ruled as a homicide by suicide.

The Fremont County Coroner says through investigation by the Wyoming Highway Patrol, 17-year-old Matthew Denton of Lander intentionally drove head-on into another vehicle. Because of this, Denton's death is considered a suicide.

During their initial investigation, the Wyoming Highway Patrol was not sure what caused Denton's Chevrolet Suburban to drive into the opposite lane.

"The investigation revealed that the Suburban was traveling 97 miles per hour at the point of impact," said Lt. Tom Adams of Highway Patrol. "No braking marks or any attempt to avoid the collision were present at the scene."

Adams also says that a further investigation revealed that Denton was having "personal problems."All four passengers of the Dodge Caravan that Denton drove into died at the scene.